The Ondo State Government has directed the immediate mass burial of 402 abandoned corpses currently overcrowding morgues at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH) complexes in Akure and Ondo towns.
Officials say the bodies, many of which have been left unclaimed for over four to five years, pose serious public health risks to the state.
In a statement released by the Special Adviser on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, the government issued a 21-day ultimatum to relatives of the deceased to come forward and claim the remains of their loved ones.
The directive, titled “List of Unknown and Abandoned Bodies in UNIMEDTH Ondo and Akure Complexes”, warned that any corpse not identified and reclaimed within the notice period would be included in a mass burial exercise.
“Out of the 402 corpses, 322 remain unidentified, while 80 have been identified but left unclaimed. Records show that 146 are female (117 unknown, 29 known), while **256 are male (205 unknown, 51 known),” the statement added.
According to health officials, morgues at the two complexes have been operating beyond capacity, creating risks of contamination and environmental hazards.
The government stressed that morgues are not designed for indefinite storage of bodies and urged the public to take responsibility.
“Members of the public should present valid evidence when claiming the bodies of their loved ones before the expiration of the ultimatum,” the statement emphasized.
✅ With this directive, Ondo joins a growing list of Nigerian states taking steps to decongest overcrowded mortuaries, amid rising concerns over abandoned corpses and the cultural reluctance of some families to claim bodies.
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